FOR allegedly extending financial help to the front of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Oriental, 27 individuals, mostly members of progressive groups, will be facing trial before a court in Cebu City.
The accused, reportedly members of the non-governmental organization Community Empowerment Resource Network (Cernet), are charged with violating Republic Act (RA) 10168, or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74, for delivering P135,000 to the NPA-South East Front in Dumaguete City in September 2012
The accused are out on bail, according to an individual who knows the case.
The Visayas Command (Viscom) filed a complaint against Cernet, which provides small funds to people’s organizations and capacitates them according to their projects, for violating RA 10168 before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in September 2023.
Viscom said Cernet, which is based in Cebu City, “has long been utilized by the country’s prime internal threat group, the Communist Terrorist Group (CT), on its fund generation scheme since 2001 basically to support its logistical and financial requirements.”
Bagong Alyansang Makabaayan, or Bayan, condemned the case filed against the accused, saying it was the Marcos administration’s “absurd” act to “silence the progressives.”
“Bagong Alyansa Makabayan will not stop criticizing the Marcos Jr. administration’s anti-people policies,” reads a portion of the statement written in Cebuano.
Activist Jaime Paglinawan, one of the accused, told SunStar Cebu on Friday, May 17, 2024, that the government’s claim that Cernet is funding NPA is unfounded.
“In the eyes of the beneficiaries of these individuals’ (the accused) services, Cernet compensates for the government’s lack of adequate service. Moreover, these are respected professionals, including four doctors, two lawyers, priests, and dedicated development workers,” Paglinawan said in Cebuano. Paglinawan is the chairman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Central Visayas (Bayan).
The lawyers are Noemi Truya-Abarrientos and Alfonso Cinco IV, while the priest is Fr. Herbert Fran Fadriquela Jr., and Msgr. Merlin Logronio.
Their co-accused are Estrella Flores-Catarata, executive director of the NGO Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya or Sibat, Geraldine Labradores, Miguel Cabilao, Ester Delfin, Dr. Nichol Ragay Elman, Evelyn Abella, Gregorio Fernandez Jr., Nancy Ugsad Estolloso, Rebecca Quimada-Sienes, Dulce Pia Rose, Maria Ira Doysabas Pamat, Dr. Petty Orbeta De Castro, and Crescenciana Labitad.
The other accused are Miguel Udtohan, Joshua Zuriel Galenzoga Tiempo, Dr. Oliver Gimenez, Cristina Muñoz, Teresa Claire Alicaba, Jhonggie Rumol, Ritchie Cabañero Nellas, Alma Ravacio Garcia, and Katrina Genturales Coloso.
Last Tuesday, May 14, the RTC Branch 74 in Cebu City ordered the arrest of the 27 individuals.
The DOJ decided not to recommend bail. However, the court chose not to follow this recommendation and set bail for the release of each accused at P200,000. No arrests were made, as the respondents voluntarily surrendered to the court.
Ian Manticajon, legal counsel of Udtohan, Elman, and Alicaba, said they were notified of the charges by the DOJ in September last year, and a preliminary investigation was conducted.
He said the DOJ Manila task force later came to Cebu to receive his clients’ counter-affidavits.
In a separate interview via Facebook Messenger on Friday, Truya said that they intend to avail themselves of all possible remedies, even if the case goes all the way to the Supreme Court.
Manticajon said the lawyers of the accused are set to meet on Saturday, May 18, to exhaust all possible legal remedies.
One of their moves is to file motions next week.
“We were unaware of the resolution, and normally, we should receive it before it goes to court so we can file the necessary motion for reconsideration,” Manticajon said, noting that they only learned the case was already filed in court, and the court acted on the resolution and issued a warrant of arrest. / AML